How to grill a perfect ribeye steak

Many steak lovers prefer the buttery flavor of a well-marbled ribeye steak. Grilling the perfect ribeye is a snap after Elias Iglesias, executive chef of Morton's The Steakhouse shares his tips on how to cook ribeye steaks.

Purchase ribeye steaks that is at least 1-inch to 1-1/2 inches thick, with bright red color and abundant marbling.

Bring steak to room temperature — removing from the refrigerator at least 2 hours prior to cooking. This will prevent over-charring or taking too long to cook.

Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat gas grill on high to 500–600 degrees.

Place steak on very hot grill and close lid. This will help the steak cook from all angles and sear in juices.

Cook ribeye steak with lid down for 4-5 minutes. Resist the urge to open the lid and look.

Flip steak after 4-5 minutes using grilling tongs. Do not use a fork as it will let out all of the juices you are trying to keep in.

Close lid and continue to cook the ribeye steak until preferred doneness

- About 4 more minutes for medium rare.

- About 5–6 minutes for medium.

You can tell if you're done grilling the ribeye steaks b y use a "hand trick" to determine doneness.

Medium rare: should feel like the base of your thumb — spongy with a little bounce.

Medium: should feel like the middle of your palm — firmer with less bounce.

Transcript
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Hi, I’m Elias Iglesias, Executive Chef at Morton’s Steakhouse, and today, I’m going to show you how to grill the perfect ribeye steak.

First, you want to pick a steak that’s got a nice, red color. Choose one that’s got at least an inch to an inch and a half in thickness, and one that has abundant marbling. The ribeye steak is the one that’s the most marbled steak. The marbling is all the fat that you see here running through the steak, and it’ what’s going to give you that buttery taste, and a flavorful-ness. Before cooking the steak, make sure you take it out at least two hours and let it sit at room temperature. That’ll keep the steak from over-charring or taking too long on the grill.

To season the steak, you can use regular seasoning salt, or salt and pepper, whatever’s your preference. And make sure the grill is nice and hot, at least five to six hundred degrees. That’s going to ensure that you get that nice searing on the outside of the steak, which is going to keep all the juices and flavors inside. Once you put your steak on the grill, close the cover. It’s a common mistake people make, to grill with the cover open. What you really want to do is cook it with the cover closed, only opening it when you want to flip the steak. And that’s to keep all the juices seared into the steak.

For a steak that’s at least an inch to an inch and a half in thickness, it’ll take approximately five minutes before you can flip it over. Very important thing: always use a tong. Never use a fork. You don’t want to poke the steak and let all those juices seep out that you’re trying to keep in there in the first place.

After about four minutes, the steak should be medium rare. The best way to tell is with a simple hand trick. A medium-rare steak should feel just like the base of your thumb, spongy, with some bounce, while a medium steak, should have less bounce and be more firm, more like the center of your palm. It should have a nice, hot red center.

And that’s your perfect grilled ribeye steak. Enjoy.

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Elias Iglesias Executive Chef, Morton's The Steakhouse
Elias Iglesias is the executive chef of Morton's The Steakhouse in New York City.
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